Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Derek Jeter’s favorite birthday? We may never know

Today is Derek Jeter’s 38th birthday, which prompts me to share this anecdote about the Yankees captain. A few years ago, a group of reporters clustered around Jeter’s locker on this date, looking for quotes on the topic of getting older — which, by the way, isn’t usually something that Jeter enjoys discussing.

In any event, someone asked Jeter a lighter question about what his favorite birthday memory was. For an instant, you could see a flickering in Jeter’s eyes, and he flashed a wry grin. Whatever it was, Jeter wasn’t about to share the details with an ocean of notepads and recorders.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” Jeter said.

What was it? Let your imagination run wild, but something tells me it’s a good story. We’ll also probably never know.

As for this 38th birthday, Jeter offered this to a questioner who wondered if he enjoys this day: “When people give me gifts, it’s always fun. I don’t mind it. … I didn’t get any gifts from you guys.”

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